ENGLISH
REFERENCE

estate

n. · adj.
US //ɪˈsteɪt// UK //ɪstˈeɪt// es·tate
  1. 1 land and property (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a large area of land in the country, usually with one big house, owned by one person or family.

    an extensive area of landed property, typically under single ownership and including a substantial residence.

    Example

    The family has owned a large country estate in Scotland for generations.

    Example

    The sprawling estate includes several hundred acres of ancient woodland and a private lake that the family maintains for conservation purposes.
  2. 2 inheritance and assets (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    everything a person owns, including money and property, especially when they die.

    the collective assets, property, and liabilities of a person, particularly those left at death to be distributed by a will.

    Example

    After her father died, she spent months managing his estate and paying his debts.

    Example

    The executors were tasked with liquidating the deceased's estate to ensure all outstanding creditors were satisfied before the remaining capital was distributed.
Show 5 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 housing development (n.)
    B1 Intermediate British English

    an area where many similar houses or apartments were built at the same time.

    a planned area of residential housing or industrial buildings.

    Example

    They moved to a new housing estate on the edge of the city.

    Example

    The local council approved the construction of a new industrial estate to encourage tech startups to relocate to the region.
  2. 4 station wagon car (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English

    a car with a long body and a large door at the back for carrying luggage.

    a car body style with a long roof and a rear door, designed to provide a large interior cargo area.

    Example

    We bought an estate car because we needed more room for the dogs.

    Example

    The manufacturer released a hybrid version of their popular estate, targeting families who require significant boot space without sacrificing fuel efficiency.
    • station wagon
  3. 5 IT infrastructure (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    all the computers, software, and technology that a company owns and uses.

    the collective information technology resources, including hardware, software, and network components, managed by an organisation.

    Example

    The company is trying to move its entire digital estate to the cloud.

    Example

    Auditing the global digital estate revealed several legacy systems that were no longer compliant with modern security protocols.
  4. 6 social class (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Archaic

    one of the social groups that people used to be divided into, like the nobles or the church.

    a major social class or order, historically possessing distinct political rights within a country.

    Example

    In the past, the clergy was known as the First Estate.

    Example

    The tension between the different estates of the realm eventually led to a total restructuring of the nation's political system.
  5. 7 second-hand (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a polite way to say that something, like jewelry, was owned by someone else before.

    a euphemistic term for previously owned or second-hand goods, frequently applied to high-value items.

    Example

    She bought a beautiful estate diamond ring at the auction.

    Example

    The boutique specialises in estate jewellery, offering rare pieces from the Victorian era that have been meticulously restored.
    • pre owned
    • second hand
Origin

From Middle English estat, from Anglo-Norman estat and Old French estat (French: état), from Latin status. Doublet of state and status.

Idioms1 entry

© 2026 English Reference